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Saturday, May 23, 2009

My Brother, David

I've met him only once. When I was 13 and went to visit my Dad and Step-mom in Vancouver. (His second wife. He's now on number three). They lived in a huge white house with two kitchens and had a giant trampoline. I was very impressed... and a little nervous about being there... until me and David, who was ten at the time decided to play power rangers. I was the yellow one (cuz the pink one was too girly). I had no idea how to act around anyone else except my sister, who was there visiting with me but David made me feel comfortable and the next few days were pretty exciting. I remember you could squeeze through the hedges in the backyard and emerge into a public swimming pool parking lot. I went there with my sister and a boy flirted with me for the first time in my whole life. I was never one of the girls considered beautiful, or even pretty when I was younger. Mostly because I just didn't care. My bad haircuts were always tangled and I couldn't co-ordinate an outfit to save my life. Jeans and over sized hand-me-down t-shirts were the only things I owned, and I never wanted anything else. I didn't even like wearing shoes and would rip them off whenever given the chance. Me and my oldest sister both got blessed with ears that stick out just enough to create an emotional complex from all the adolescent teasing. Seriously, whoever thought of naming that movie Dumbo... needs to be held accountable. I hate that movie. I also hate monkeys. I suppose this means... I'm not over it yet. I still wear my hair up in a loose, low ponytail... to cover my ears. The day that the older blonde boy offered me some candy however, I had just gotten out of the swimming pool. My hair was wet, and my ears... fully exposed to the world. You have no idea how incredible it felt when my sister informed me (after the boy had left) that he was flirting. I had been flirted with! Even after he saw my ears. AND I had candy! It was shaping up to be a really great vacation, and when we had to leave a few days later... I knew I would miss David. I definitely did not think it would be the last time I saw him in at least ten years. He's 18 now, and today... he added me on facebook. I know what your thinking. Anti social networking activist has a facebook? I signed up when I first moved here 2 years ago, for a random reason and got flooded with requests. After my mom and her second husband split up, we moved around a lot. I went to four different schools in two years, lived in three completely different towns... and my graduating class in high-school had over 200 people. It was, admittedly, very cool to be in touch with so many old friends I thought I had left behind. In an effort to keep it separate from youtube, I made myself a rule. That I would only add people I had actually met and talked to, in real life. I've broken that rule once or twice for people I learned to trust enough, but it took a very long time. My family is on facebook. My best friends and ex boyfriends and co-workers. And now... my brother I havent seen in ten years. My brother I fully expected to never see or hear from again. So I willingly admit that facebook... for me at least, has proved it's worth and no matter how stupid I thought it was every time someone I didnt know tried to add me... this one accepted request, makes all those ignored ones worth it.